Writing Resources


Text Resources in the Media Center

  • Before the First Word - VHS 411 BEF
  • How to Write a Report - 808.06 NEW
  • Writer's Inc: a student handbook for writing and learning - RES

Text Resources in the English Department

  • Out-write Success - pink booklets

Internet Resources through the Otsego High School Virtual Media Center

How to access directly from school or home:

How to access via the district site:
  • Go to the Otsego Public Schools website http://www.otsegops.org
  • Click on the "buildings" button on the left hand side of the screen
  • Click on the "Otsego High School" link or picture on the right side of the page
  • Click on the "Media Center" button on the lower left hand side of the screen
  • You should now be on the "Otsego High School Virtual Media Center" page

Otsego High School Virtual Media Center Resources

Click on General Research Resources to access:
  • Opposing Viewpoints (password: remote)
This website is an awesome resource for finding a controversial topic to write about.
  • MeL Portal: Teen Gateway (You will need a Michigan State ID or Michigan State Driver's License number to enter the portal from home)
These resources are very valuable links to assistance with specific assignments as well as for finding research information.
Learning ExpressLibrary
- Writing
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Spelling
- Reading
Expanded Academic ASAP
Gale Virtual Reference Library
General Reference Center Gold
InfoTrac Student Editon
New York Times
NewsBank Michigan Newspapers
OmniFile Full Text Select
Sirs Renaissance

Internet Resources for Essay Writing

The OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University = GOLDMINE
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
- Writing process
- Essay style writing
- Research writing
- Citation of sources
- Grammar
WAC Student Resources
http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/resourcew.htm
- a resource for students to write, no matter what the subject is. This site offers tips and guidance on different types of writing, including resumes and cover letters. In addition, there are additional links to help you to complete your writing assignments successfully and samples of various writing styles with comments for students to consider when writing their own assignments.
Paradigm on Writing Assistant
http://www.powa.org/
- online writing assistant for everything from sentence structure to different styles of essays
Guide to Writing a Basic Essay
http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/
- online guide to basic essay writing – includes information about choosing topic, if necessary. This website takes you through the entire organization process, in case you forget what you need to include.
ABCs of the Writing Process
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/
- a great resource on the writing process, and staying on track with creating your essay using good process
Teenspace – A+ Research & Writing
http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/
- step by step guide for doing research and writing the research paper
Best Information on the Net: St Ambrose University
http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Hot/hotindex.htm
- offers a listing of “hot” topics to write about
Writer’s Web: Where to Start a Paper
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/1stqs.html
- interactive site that takes your answers to targeted questions and helps you begin the writing process in an organized manner
Stepcase: LifeHack – Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/guide-to-grammar-and-writing.html
- Quick reference for Grammar and writing
Research & Documentation Online by Bedford St. Martin’s Diane Hacker
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
- Resource site for creating reference styles for your research projects
Enhance My Writing.com
http://www.enhancemywriting.com/
- This site is designed for those writers who would like to improve their skills in various areas of research, style, organization, sentence flow, etc.
The Writing Center at Harvard
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/resources.html
- The Harvard University Writing center has designed this website to offer handouts on various parts of improving writing.

General Reference Resources

Homework Spot
http://www.homeworkspot.com/
- great site for finding information and help for all of your subjects
Online Resources for Writers
http://webster.commnet.edu/writing/writing.htm
- a very long list of websites that offer information and assistance on everything from grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, writing styles, and much, much more. There are also practice test and application activities available through the various websites, to help you practice your skills.
Bibliography/Citation
For assistance in creating accurate citations in specific styles/formats - Citation Tools